Tender Plants

Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” Matthew 13:24-30

O Great Creator of planting and of harvest

out lives are filled with tender growing ones

who are fragile and could be destroyed

if we try to wrench out the weeds among them.

You called for us all to be pure in heart

patient and generous in all that we do

yet too often we want to remove trouble

when the trouble itself is a gift and a sign.

Jesus you walked among the simple people

knew they understood the balance in nature

lived with them and ate at table with the poor

knowing in them was the kingdom of heaven.

Let us have eyes to see the tender ones here

make us gentle and encouraging with them

let our lives be full of patience and understanding

so that you reign might be seen in us today. Amen.